Category Archives: Golf

1950 - 1969, 1970 - 1989, 1990 - 1999, 2000 - 2009, 2010 - 2019, 2010 - 2019, Golf, Male

MIKE JACKSON

In his competitive golfing career, Mike has atop the leader board for more than 50 golf championships spanning the local, provincial, national and international landscape. Mike has played in national events in all ten Canadian provinces at least once.

Jackson is currently ranked in the upper tier out of more than 700 senior golfers by Golf Week Magazine in the United States.  And as recently as May 2012, he won the Ontario Senior Men’s “Champion of Champions” title by two strokes in Peterborough.

His athletic roots run deep in Collingwood.  He is the son of Ken “Jeep”’ Jackson, a member of the Sports Hall of Fame.  Michael, who played local Junior hockey as a right-winger, tried out for the Guelph CMC’s in 1972. In 1973, he attended the training camp for the Toronto Maple Leafs arranged through local scout Donald ‘Nip’ Spooner.  Mike also played a couple of years of Senior “B” Hockey for the Durham Husky’s winning a provincial championship.

An excellent right-handed golfer as a youth, Jackson was Ontario Best Ball Champion with Hugh Fraser in 1976.  As an amateur, he competed numerous times at the provincial level.  He took part in the 1985 British Amateur at Royal Dornoch in Scotland and was 27th out of 288 golfers before match play.  His medal score was ahead of such greats as Duffy Waldorf, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.  He was the 2003 mid-amateur provincial champion (played at Mad River in Stayner) and won the 2010 Ontario Senior Men’s Amateur crown at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor.

Locally, Jackson has been the Blue Mountain Golf and Country Club champion an unprecedented 15 times, the club’s Senior champ twice and captured the Scenic Caves Invitational on seven occasions.  As a six-time champion with the Midland Golf and Country Club, he holds the course record of 63, shot in the final round of the club championship in 1979.  He’s a four-time winner of both the Georgian Bay Club championship and Senior Club championship, along with being Match Play champion for three years.

Jackson, a committed community citizen, owns the GM dealership in Collingwood.  A recipient of Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellowship Award, he has been the E-3 Community Living golf tournament chair for many years.  He was a board member for the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame committee from 1988 to 2002.  Jackson has been on the board of the Canadian Auto Institute (CAI) at Georgian College for several years, and was its chairman of the board from 2005 to 2007.

Jackson is appreciative of the support of his family – wife Doreen, son Ryan and daughter Courtney – which has allowed him to venture far and wide in his chosen sport.  He credits fellow Sports Hall of Famers Don Cook and Brian Jeffery for giving him the inspiration to compete in golf.

On October 20, 2012, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomed Mike Jackson as an enshrined ‘Athlete’ from our sporting community.

1990 - 1999, 2000 - 2009, 2010 - 2019, Golf, Male

BRIAN FRENCH

Respected and competitive golf professional Brian French has been a member of Team Ontario five times in Titleist Cup match-play action. His team won the 2010 event played at the Royal Quebec Golf Club in Boischatel. ‘Frenchie’ holds course records locally at Cranberry Resort (66), Mad River (68) and Monterra (66). Among his many achievements was being the leading money winner in the 1989 Ontario Assistants’ Order of Merit.

The winner of more than 10 Ontario professional golf tournaments, French shot a 68 at Deerhurst and a 64 at Tor Hill Golf Club in Regina; both course records. He captured two consecutive championships in the Pro-Am event at the National Golf Club in Woodbridge. He also won the Head Professional T.P.D. Fall Classic at the Barrie Golf and Country Club. In 1986, French won the Saskatchewan Open and was a three-time member of the Willingdon Cup. As part of the Willingdon Cup, he was among the top four amateur golfers in Saskatchewan.

French has shot one double-eagle — on hole #14 at Cranberry — and collected 11 aces in his strong golfing career.

French has been the head golf professional at Mad River Golf Club in Creemore since 1994 and is in his 25th year as an accomplished golf instructor. He was also head pro at Cranberry. He continues to be an avid supporter of developing and promoting popular junior golf programs. Along with being a prolific squash player, he was a class ‘A’ squash referee and a member of the Saskatchewan Squash Association.

While attending Collingwood Collegiate Institute, French was part of the badminton team and continued playing the sport at university. The CCI golf team one year featured French, his brother Tim, and the Jacksons, Mike and Paul.

1930 - 1949, 1950 - 1969, 1970 - 1989, 1990 - 1999, 1990 - 1999, All, Golf, Male

CHARLES REEVES CONNOLLY

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Charles successful golf career spanned 5 decades from the 1930’s through the 1980’s.

As a champion track, football, rugby, basketball, curling and hockey player while attending Collingwood Collegiate, he was awarded the Senior Athlete Award in 1940. On the course, he won seven club championships + 20 tournament victories throughout his 50 year golf career. He finished 2nd in the Ontario Senior Championships in 4 consecutive years between 1964-67. In 1973, he won the International Senior’s Golf Society event at Gleneagles, Scotland.

In 1984 and 1985, Charles won the Canadian Senior Golf Tournament for golfers 70-74 years.

Connolly joined the Canadian Air Force before working with Ontario Hydro and the Credit Union bank.

Throughout his golfing travels, Charles recorded 3 holes in one!

1950 - 1969, 1970 - 1989, 1990 - 1999, 1990 - 1999, All, Golf, Hockey, Male

DON COOK

Don Cook has enjoyed success on both the golf course and hockey arena.  At the time of Induction, Cook has played in eight (8) Ontario Amateur Golf Championships and four (4) Canadian amateur tournaments over the years, and qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at Rochester, New York’s Oak Hill course in 1994.

Along the way, Cook has won over 25 club championships across Ontario and holds several local course records including his home course – Blue Mountain Golf & Country Club.

During his hockey career, Cook helped the Collingwood Juvenile Cubs win an Ontario title as a defenseman in 1955-56 and went on to play several games for the Jr. “’A” Guelph Biltmores under coach Eddie Bush in 1957.

He went on to captain the Waterloo Jr. ‘B’ Siskins for three seasons (1958, ’59 & ’60) and then played pro in Holland for a couple of years.

Don Cook was inducted into The Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame in May 1996.

In Dec 2022, Don Cook passed away suddenly in Collingwood leaving behind many friends.

1950 - 1969, 2000 - 2009, All, Golf, Male, Other

AL GREIR

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Since playing Old Timers he has competed in over 2000 games, many
tournaments, won many medals, too numerous to mention. Alan coached Minor hockey for twenty years.

Football 1952,53,54,55 – Played football for CDCI

Track & Field 1952,53,54,55 – Competed in 100, 200, half mile, pole
vault and 2 Senior Championships, also numerous track events including the
Tud-Hope meets & represented central Vancouver Island at the Senior B.C.
Summer Games.

1950-59 – Numerous Hardball and Fastball Teams in Collingwood, winning
Fastball Championship in 1959.

Golf 1953 – CDCI Golf Championship

1958 – Collingwood Golf & Country Club Handicap Championship

This evening June 9, 2000 marks the induction of Alan Greir into the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame in the Players’ category.

1990 - 1999, 1990 - 1999, All, Golf, Male

DON HEWSON

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The Collingwood Collegiate grad moved out of the Collingwood area in his late teens to attend the University of Toronto where he secured a degree in Mechanical Engineering. A resident of Stouffville, Don his wife Sandra havre raised seven children.

Hewson is the President and major shareholder in a Toronto-based engineering firm, and despite his professional and family commitments through the years, has been able to keep his golf game more than up to snuff.

In 1991, he captured the Canadian Seniors’ Golf Association Tournament with a two-round total of 150 at the York Downs Golf Club. He has had a couple of other notable performances, including a first-place in the Ontario Seniors Better-Ball event and a berth in the 1992 U.S. Senior Amateur event a the Oak Hill course at Rochester, N.Y.

In his younger years, Hewson won several club championships including four in Collingwood, three for Simcoe County and other at York Downs, St. George’s and Scarborough.

He also won a few Collingwood Shipbuilders’ Suppliers Tournament in Wasaga Beach, and Collingwood’s John Richards, often a playing partner of Hewson’s said that if Don didn’t win that tournament, his twin brother often did.

Hewson was active in other sports, and played on two Collingwood hardball clubs that made it to the provincial finals.  He was also a member of Central Ontario high
school championship teams in both volleyball and basketball during his stay at
CCI.

Don Hewson was inducted into the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.

1970 - 1989, 1990 - 1999, 2000 - 2009, 2000 - 2009, 2010 - 2019, All, Golf, Male

BRIAN JEFFERY

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Considering all of the accomplishments in the golfing career of local resident Brian
Jeffery, one figure stands out when all of the numbers are compiled. Twenty-Eight (28)
holes-in-one! He’s done it at the famed Turnberry links in Scotland, twice
within two weeks earlier this year while wintering in Florida, and several
times on his home Blue Mountain Golf & Country Club. “There has to be
some skill involved, but largely it’s a lucky shot,” said the 60-year-old
Jeffery, who placed 12th at the 2004 Canadian senior amateur championships in North Bay, prior to his Induction.

Some luck and a lot of practice has helped Jeffery become the top-ranked senior amateur player (55 yrs. & up) in Ontario. He was introduced to the sport at the age of two by his grandfather, Bill Thompson, at the old Collingwood Golf Club. As a teen, he won several area tournaments and captured the Simcoe County Invitational four years running (1964-67). His father Don managed the Collingwood arena for 25 years and is in the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame for his years of hockey at the OHA Junior and Senior levels.

At just 140 pounds, Brian played junior hockey but preferred sticks of the iron variety. Jeffery would go on to work 30 years and one day at Bell Canada before retiring and getting into the senior golf ranks. Among his golfing achievements, was runner-up at the 1999 Canadian Senior Match Play Championships, 3x Ontario senior amateur title (2002, 2005 & 2008) and taking the National Senior Association title in 2003. Locally, he has claimed the Scenic Caves Invitational and Blue Mountain Golf & Country Club titles seven times each.

Jeffery credits long-time playing partner Don Cook for pushing him to be a sharper player and competitor.  “I tend to get ahead of myself sometimes,” joked Jeffery. “Just because you can see the clubhouse, it doesn’t mean you’ve won anything yet. I remember I was leading a tournament in Midland by five strokes with five holes to play and then made a 10 on one hole. Sure I lost that tournament, but I learned a lot from the experience and it helped me later.”

This evening, October 23, 2004, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes Brian Jeffery as an enshrined member for his Athletic achievements.

1950 - 1969, 1970 - 1989, 1980 - 1989, All, Golf, Male

DAVE TAYLOR

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Davey Taylor received his first golf club on Christmas Day, 1905, in Alloway, Scotland. The club was in his stocking and he was just five years old.

He started knocking a golf ball around from that very day, and, he was still at it just 75 years later.

His greatest thrill came at 14 years of age when the family moved to the town of Troon, on Scotland’s west coast. Troon was surrounded by no fewer than six golf courses.

After serving with the First Highland Light Infantry Regiment in World War II, Davey came to Collingwood to work in the shipyard in 1923.

Since that time he has been a legend and a landmark on Collingwood golf courses. Always available, Davey never spared himself when it came to lending a helping hand to young golfer.

His golfing can be attested by the shelves of cups and trophies that adorned his comfortable home on Moberly Street. During his career in Collingwood he has won the Collingwood Senior Golf Club championship ten times.

He won the Saugeen Open in 1963, the Wasaga Beach open twice and the Collingwood Legion Trophy three times. Add the annual Shipyard tournament awards and a dozen local cups and shields and you find Davey Taylor sitting on top of a stone boast load of silver. He has ringed the cup many times on his tee shots but only once did he realize the golfer’s dream- a hole in one. His first and last ace came on a Toronto golf course back in 1931.

Par for the old Collingwood Golf Club is seventy. Mr. Taylor did not remember how many times he has pared that course. He shot a 64 at the age of 63.

He died in 1981.

1900 - 1929, All, Athlete, Builder, Golf, Male, Other

NORM RULE

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Norman Rule qualifies for Collingwood’s Sports Hall of Fame as a competitor and a builder.

This pioneer sportsman passed away in 1973 at the age of ninety-six, a member of Collingwood’s first hockey team organized eighty-nine years ago in 1894.

It was mainly through the organization ability of Mr. Rule that the first team came into being. He borrowed a pair of cricket pads and took over the goalkeeping duties behind such pioneer players as Ed Elworthy, Charlie Norris, a man who later became vice-president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, Date Andrews, Reg Brown, later a wealthy business man in British Columbia, Fred Hopkins, who lost his life in Klondike Gold Rush in ’98, and Bill Toner, who had the honor of being elected Collingwood’s first hockey team captain.

Norman Rule could be classed as one of the town’s first all around athletes. He was a better than average ball player, an outstanding golfer and his name is on the Ontario Tankard Curling Trophy won by Collingwood in 1913.

His contribution to hockey alone rates him as a candidate for the Sports Hall of Fame but his real value came in the promotion and organization of sports in general. I have five individual trophies, all won by Norman Rule, stored at my home at the present time.